How a blower door can cut your energy bills

Blower Door

Tray Biasiolli, a Building Auditor at LEAP says, “The blower door test is like having your blood pressure taken during a physical. It’s the most important diagnostic test for assessing a home’s efficiency.”

But how do you know if your home might need a blower door test?

Your home might be a good candidate for the blower door test if…

  • You feel drafts in your home
  • You have high utility bills
  • You see stink bugs or other insects in your home
  • You see dust in the air
  • You have problems with condensation

What’s a blower door test?

In a nutshell, a blower door is mounted in your exterior door and measures air leakage or the airtightness in your home. The results of the test give an estimate of how big of an air leakage you have, the location of the leakage, and what steps need to be taken to stop the leakage from occurring. Watch a blower door test here.

Small air leakages occur in various parts of a home. When added together, the total size of the air leaks can be as large as 125-175 square inches or the size of a large pizza. Imagine an opening to your home, the size of a large pizza, letting out all of your heating and cooling!

Signs that your home might be a good candidate for the blower door test:

The mechanics of a blower door

  • You feel drafts in your home
  • You have high utility bills
  • You see stink bugs or other insects in your home
  • You see dust in the air
  • You have problems with condensation

Where exactly do air leakages occur?

Air leakages most often occur at:

  • Attic floor penetrations
  • Attic access
  • Crawl space/basement ceiling penetrations
  • Along the band joist
  • Plumbing penetrations under sinks
  • Chimneys
  • Recessed lights

Why should I care about air leakages?

Air leakages can reduce the energy efficiency in your home or business. By reducing air leakage, you will notice:

  • Improved comfort
  • A reduction in energy consumption and lower utility bills
  • A reduction in the number of insects in your home
  • A reduction in dust
  • Less problems with condensation

To schedule a blower door test, call LEAP at 434-227-4666 or sign up for one of our Energy Assessments.

Tags: ,

«
»